Hall of Fame coach Pat Summitt, who won more games than anyone in college basketball history man or woman, died Tuesday at the age of 64 — only five years after being diagnosed with early onset dementia.

More important than her record, which included eight national championships at Tennessee, was the role she played in helping to bring women’s sports into the mainstream. Here is a sampling of reaction to her passing from some of her friends, rivals and former colleagues at local ACC schools:

UNC’s Sylvia Hatchell (left) and Tennessee’s Pat Summitt share a moment before their national semifinal game in 2007

UNC basketball coach Sylvia Hatchell

“Today I lost a great friend! But Pat & Kay (Yow) are now in heaven probably doing a coach’s clinic with Dean Smith.”

N.C. State athletic director Debbie Yow

“Pat was a unique, one of a kind talent. She came to Tennessee as a young woman and left as an icon. I coached against her when I was at Kentucky and at Florida. Simply put, there was no better X and O coach.”

Duke women’s basketball coach Joanne P. McCallie

“Words can never describe Pat’s effect on others. She is the heart and soul of women’s basketball forever. Today is a very sad day. She left us too soon but not without setting the highest standards of competition and care. Our thoughts and prayers are with the family and all of those with whom she touched.”

“There’s no question, [she] was really one of the greatest coaches of any sport. I can remember early in my career when C.M. Newton, one of the great guys in men’s college basketball, wanted to hire her to be a men’s coach. He said ‘Look, you should go to one of her practices because she knows how to coach.’ She really put women’s basketball out there, in other words, what she did with recruiting, accomplishments and championships really set the foundation for where women’s basketball is in our country right now. [She’s] really the gold standard of women’s college basketball. She produced so many pros and set the bar at a really high level for basketball.

“[Knoxville] was the center for women’s basketball. If you wanted to really look at the start, you would go to Pat Summitt and you would go from there. Obviously, Geno [Auriemma] is doing an unbelievable job at Connecticut, but that would not have been without Pat. [She was] a tremendous person, teacher and competitor. We shared a great honor in 2011 where we were both picked as Sportsperson of the Year by Sports Illustrated. We shared a cover, and we joked over the years as we signed so many. Whenever I got one that someone wanted signed, I said ‘If it’s signed by you, then I’ll sign it. What a terrific person and coach.”

UNC men’s basketball coach Roy Williams

“We lost one of the true giants in coaching, in any sport and regardless of gender, today. If there were a Mount Rushmore of coaching, Pat Summitt would certainly be included. (My wife) Wanda and I sent our daughter, Kimberly, to her basketball camp in Knoxville when I was coaching at Kansas, which is about as high a compliment one coach could give to another, because we wanted Kimberly to be influenced by Coach Summitt. She was a coaching giant, but she was even better in the way she treated people. Our hearts and prayers are with her family and her extended family, in particular all those who coached with her and the young people who played for her.”

Duke football coach David Cutcliffe, who worked with Summitt during his time as an assistant at Tennessee

Pat Summitt won eight national championships at Tennessee

“First and foremost condolences to Coach Summitt’s family and her loved ones. We were fortunate to share 19 years together in Knoxville and without question I am a better person and coach because of it. Pat was a special individual in the truest sense. The way she handled herself both personally and professionally was inspirational to everyone who came into contact with her.

“We lost an iconic coach today — and not just for women’s basketball, but all sports. We lost one of the most incredible educators I’ve been around. Pat’s ability to motivate young women within the team concept while incorporating life lessons was one of the things I admired about her, and, I don’t know if anyone has done it with more class, humility and success as she did. Every coach and educator should have a heavy heart today — she will be missed dearly.”